Continue harvesting winter vegetables planted in September and October. Replace those harvested completely, such as spinach, cauliflower, cabbages, radishes, beets and turnips. These new plants will be ready to harvest around Valentine’s Day, and then there will still be time to put in one more round, if you want. For plants that produce an ongoing harvest — peas, snap peas, Chinese peas and Swiss chard, for example — pick the edibles regularly to keep the plants productive.

2. Transplant directions

To transplant boysenberries, olallieberries and other cane berries, dig up rooted plantlets any time from now to mid-January. Shake off the excess soil, and remove all the leaves. Cut the stems back to 6 inches. Transplant to a sunny spot in rich soil, and keep the ground moist to give them a great start.

3. Water now, not later

Keep watering indoor poinsettias for a few more weeks, so they retain their holiday beauty. Then after the first of the year stop watering them so the plants go dormant. They will drop their leaves. After that, keep them in a cool area protected from frost and irrigate only enough to prevent shriveling until they can be planted in the garden in March.

4. Merry Christmas, cactus

Christmas cactus looks great now in full bloom — as long as nighttime temperatures remain between 50-55 degrees F and they have darkness for 12-14 hours daily. Beware that normal indoor conditions kill undeveloped buds and shorten the flowering period. To prolong their beauty, take them outdoors every evening to a protected but cool, dark place then bring them back inside in the morning. Continue feeding Christmas cactus with liquid flowering plant food, even in full bloom, and keep the soil mix continuously moist.

5. Make the cut

After your chrysanthemums finish blooming, cut them down nearly all the way to the ground. They will start growing back in spring and look even better next year. Continue raking leaves that fall from other plants. You can add them to your compost pile, as long as you dispose of any diseased foliage first.